Runaway Train
by Aya Kazuki
Summary: When Haruno Sakura secretively called her for a personal favor, the smart thing to do would have been to hang up and pretend she was unaware of the unknown caller ID. Against better judgment, Ino listened to the woman's entire sob story and then agreed to the ridiculous favor...of stopping Sakura's impending engagement to Sai. AU (Sai x Ino) (Sakura x Sasuke)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto!

Author's Note: Hello! So…for those following my other SaixIno story…I'll get that updated soon! It just, this idea popped into my head and I had to write it down! It may seem like one of those Korean dramas out there—and I'm sure it overlaps…but I've seen so many of those, I lost track. Hopefully you guys enjoy it! Thank you for reading!

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Chapter 1

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When Haruno Sakura secretively called her for a personal favor, the smart thing to do would have been to hang up and pretend she was unaware of the unknown caller ID. Against better judgment, Ino listened to the woman's entire sob story and then _agreed_ to the ridiculous favor. Never once in their lifetime did the pink-haired woman ask for anything and with the blonde's dutiful sense of camaraderie, she could not say _no_.

Thinking back on it now, listening to her gut feeling would have avoided the entire fiasco. But when did she ever follow the practical path?

This brought her to the current situation at hand, and the man sitting quietly across the table from her. He smiled blankly back, stirring the creamer into his espresso before putting the spoon down and taking a sip.

Ino sank further into her seat, wanting to be anywhere but _there_. She wanted to jump on a rocket and fly to the moon, dig a hole so deep she'd end up in Iwa, or even worse—back in her office in Kiri finishing all the paperwork that built up in the last week.

Aimlessly swirling the teabag in her mug, she pouted and sighed simultaneously. Her other hand played with the fancy embroidered tablecloth.

"Please stop making such ugly expressions. It's making me nauseous."

Sapphire blue orbs shot up and glared at him, her pout turning into a firm frown. After ambushing her, he dragged her to an expensive maid café and asked for the furthest table from the rest of the patrons. Not only did she get tangled in a web of lies with Konoha's old money families—she was now seated across from a member of the renowned _Uchiha _family.

Dressed in a well-tailored navy blazer, light blue button-up, and tan slacks—the man was definitely an eye-catcher. Ink black hair framing his pale face and obsidian-hued eyes, his physical appearance was absolutely her type to put the cherry on top of the situation.

Ino could feel her mouth go dry as she tried to form a response. Normally her blood would have boiled at such a comment and she would have shoved his delightfully smiling face into the hot cup, but being the one at fault, she could do no such thing. Handsome, dark, and mysterious men were her kryptonite.

The blonde cursed the luck the other woman had with good-looking, rich men. A few years ago, Sakura managed to snag a number of dates with the infamous model _Uchiha Sasuke_, which went nowhere because he had the personality of a brick wall. Then after that, the pink-haired woman dated Namikaze Inc's heir _Uzumaki Naruto_ for a couple months before his excessive exuberance tired her out. With that, Haruno went back to the stoic silent type, winning _Hyuuga Neji _over, only to call off the relationship within four months, claiming he was too one-track minded and dedicated to his work.

She snorted inwardly. The other woman claims of having relationship _failures_. If only she could relive Ino's amazing list of bad decisions. Heck, the Yamanaka made so many poor judgments in men that she _almost _gave up men completely.

So fate would only have it that when Haruno's established family of well-renowned physicians decided to strengthen the bonds in Konoha's old families, the single pink-haired woman would be paired up with an Uchiha. The Uchihas, on the other hand, were financial giants, an important benefactor to the health care institutions in the Fire Country.

Uchiha Itachi's feats were well-known around the Five Countries as he traveled for humanitarian work but he refused to return and inherit the head position. Henceforth, he was out of the picture. Second in line, Sasuke as aforementioned became an international model and Fugaku immediately denounced his younger son for such an outrageous lifestyle. This ruled him out too. Third up, Shisui would have also been a good choice, given his intelligence and personable character but his lack of self-preservation and inability to stay focused and serious also crossed him off the list.

And because of that odd generational crisis happening with the Uchihas, Sakura ended up engaged to the fourth runner up.

Uchiha Sai placed the cup daintily on the table and dabbed his mouth with a napkin like a _fucking gentleman_ before rudely speaking again. "You have beautiful eyes for such a mediocre face. I would have remembered you if we met before. But we _haven't_ until last week. So _please _explain your purpose." It was a statement.

She glared hotly at him. How _dare _he compliment and insult her at the same time. If they had given her any other utensils aside from the stirring spoon, she would have tried to stab him in the eye with it and run. The nerve this weird tactless lolicon had, hauling her to a frivolous place to ask such an important question. Two options were left for her, to either tell the truth or to try and weasel her way out. He had left both paths open.

"Sakura doesn't want to marry you."

He blinked at her, twirling his phone with his right hand. "I don't want to marry that ugly hag either."

Mentally rolling her eyes, she could just imagine how Sakura and his meetings ended. "Then leave it as it is." Now, why couldn't he just stay ignorantly blissful?

The upward curve of his lips disappeared and his demeanor shifted. Ino shuffled in her seat. The change in his behavior made her slightly uncomfortable, but she felt no harm from it. Instead, he looked confused, if anything.

"But I'm curious as to why you did it."

She sighed; the man was too inquisitive for his own good. Didn't he hear that curiosity killed the cat? "Why what? Why I publicly shamed you or why I did the self-deprecating act?"

"Why you went through such lengths for Sakura. You are not even blood related to her." He tilted his head adorably, throwing one leg over the other knee and leaned back into the chair. The conversation brought back the recent event—an event she was trying to tuck far away into the nooks and crannies of her mind.

"Because we're best friends."

"So you went through all that humiliation for a _friend_? A bond built upon intangible effects, empty words of honesty, and meaningless gifts?" Sai rattled off perfectly, as if reciting from a scorned teenaged girl's diary.

Ino gaped at him, unwilling to believe how someone can be so _unfeeling_. She wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or if he really was that emotionless, but the blonde would not simmer and let him denounced her friendship with Sakura as empty words and actions.

"You know _nothing _of our friendship, so do not go around talking like you own the world. _You _may be an Uchiha, but money and name cannot buy happiness. The embarrassment I went through is _nothing _compared to how desolate Sakura would have been if she ended up married to _you_."

Instead of expressing discontent at her words, he bowed his head slightly. "I apologize for my words. I actually don't have any friends so I can't comprehend your actions for her."

For the second time that night, she was at a loss. He spoke fluidly, very well versed with his words and his actions were flawless. But as perfect as he was, the conversation with him shone a new light. He was perfect—perfect like a doll. And as empty as one.

He smiled vacantly at her and she saw it finally—the loneliness behind his façade. He behaved exactly as he was taught how to, spoke how he was told, and compared the ethereal aspects of life in how it was expressed in shapes and symbols on paper.

She noticed he knew when to apologize when he noticed others were offended. And he did have the element of curiosity. Maybe he wasn't as _emotionless_ but more-so unable to express his emotions? The realization made her feel even _worse _for her actions.

"How did _you _feel when it happened?" Ino threw back at him, watching his eyes widened slightly as he fished for words.

Finally, he answered vaguely. "Bad."

An eyebrow rose at his terribly blank response. "Bad? That's it?"

Nodding, he tried to be more descriptive. "Like I wanted to piss in my pants, kind of bad."

Cupping a hand over her mouth, Ino resisted the urge to laugh. As coarse as he is, she can tell now—he was just a frank individual who was not used to filtering his thoughts and expressing his feelings.

"That's a terrible analogy. Let me tell _you _then how _I _felt and then we'll go back and you can use that as a base to tell me again how you felt." Maybe telling her side and having him tell his side will help lift this weight off her chest.

He nodded again—and was that _enthusiasm_ she saw?

* * *

One week ago…

_The moths in her stomach wouldn't quit it, fluttering about like a swarm to a flame. She was pretty sure she was heading to her demise—which was exactly how she felt. Her hands were clammy and her mouth dry as if she fell asleep with her jaw open._

_Covering her head was a perfect, voluminous high-end wig that was extremely itchy. The amount of hairspray she applied could make her into a walking torch. Things she does for her best friend, eh? She hadn't seen Sakura in nearly eight years but they stayed in very close contact through phone calls and texting._

_Sakura mentioned a man she was deeply in love with—and she had wanted to marry and have a life with during one long call. And then the next thing Ino knew, the other woman called her up in tears from a blocked number, stating that she was engaged, but not to the one she loved._

_Her heart broke for Sakura. It was as if she felt the utter betrayal the other woman's family did to her. Ino had long ago given up on her chase for happiness, but Sakura still had the chance for it. And she would do anything in her power to help Sakura achieve a happy ending._

_With that, she stepped through the huge open wooden doors, the uncomfortable feeling of the nude pumps on her feet diminishing with every step she took towards her targets. She didn't divulge her plans to Sakura over the phone. Ino had told Sakura not to worry her pretty little head and just go through with what had been laid out to her by her family and the blonde will take care of the rest._

_In all honesty, Ino had been frantically scouring her brain for ways to end an engagement. She could have Sakura's mystery man declare his love for her at the engagement and whisk her away—but that would put the Haruno family in a tough place. Then there was the option of kidnapping Sakura, but when the pink-haired woman returns, she'd still have to go through with the marriage._

_So that left her with the third option. One that she did not want to wish on anyone. And what she was about to do would probably come back to bite her. Karma had a way with being bitchy. But with this odd dutiful sense of loyalty to her friend, she could not back down now._

_She made a fluid motion towards the awkward couple standing near the refreshments—the duo of the hour. The engagement party was flourished well with great taste, and definitely because of the high profile guests._

_Whispering a quick apology to the unsuspecting man, she made her presence known._

"_Good evening." She purred, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, showing off the diamonds dangling against her neck._

_A gift she had was the ability to effectively gather attention. She had always been able to become the center of anything she wanted. With a scandalous sky-blue satin mermaid dress that ran one slit up, displaying a slender, long leg—she was not hard to miss. Eyes started to draw towards her—and she towards the couple._

"_O-Oh, hey…?" Sakura paused; taken back that Ino would show up to the engagement party. The look in her eyes show that she had long given up any retaliation to the arrangement and that her blonde best friend couldn't figure out anything either. But the bright green eyes were now clouded with confusion._

"_It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Her grin widened as she threw one hand on her hips. "Is this your fiancé?"_

"_Ah, yes." The doctor-in-training motioned at the impeccably dressed man beside her, "This is Uchiha Sai. Sai, this is—"_

"_Oh I know who he is." She cut the other woman off rudely, striding up to the dark-haired man, who just stood there, blinking at her innocently. "I know Sai."_

_Too innocently._

"_So Sai." Her voice cut through the atmospheric cloud like a knife through butter. "So you think you can just go and get married like that? Like we never happened?"_

"_We?" Sai repeated confusedly._

"_Yes, we." Ino raised her voice, her mantra repeating. Be the psycho ex-girlfriend lover something scorned! "HOW DARE YOU JUST LEAVE ME AFTER SAYING ALL THOSE THINGS. YOU PROMISED. YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF US." She was mentally on fire. The heat she felt was either out of guilt or displaced anger. Waving her arms erratically, she encouraged the other woman to back away from Sai._

"_I'm sorry; I'm not sure what you're talking about?" His eyebrows knitted together genuinely in bewilderment. But of course, no one believed him. After all, Ino was the main class act here._

"_AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? IS IT BECAUSE I'M POOR? OR DID YOU ONLY WANT ME FOR MY BODY?!" She wailed, throwing the champagne in her glass on the man. "THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT? YOU WERE JUST LONELY ON YOUR BUSINESS TRIP AND YOU DECIDED TO HAVE FUN WITH MY FEELINGS!"_

_The glass cracked in her hands and she continued to sob loudly. Around her, she could hear the whispers of the guests._

"_His ex-lover?"_

"_That poor thing."_

"_How shameful. I actually don't know which is worse—him or her."_

"_Of course it would be the Uchiha."_

_Odds were turning in her favor and she could see Sakura being ushered away by her father—the pink-haired girl still in shock at her friend's display._

"_WERE YOU ENGAGED WHILE WE WERE TOGETHER? DID YOU HAVE OTHER WOMEN TOO?!" She shrieked, the crocodile tears mixing with her makeup. Reaching up, she ran a palm against her tear-streaked face, smudging the foundation and blush. Thank goodness she was gifted with tears-on-command._

"_W-What? But I didn't…I don't…" He stammered, still incredibly confused at the situation._

_Quite satisfied with the mixed emotions emanating from the rest of the guests at the event, she gave it one last round, turning her back towards him and throwing a watery gaze over her shoulder._

"_Whatever, I don't care anymore." She cried into her hands, "Do what you want. The baby and I will be just fine without you. After all, you left without a single word and then I find you engaged to my friend? You're a bad, bad man." _

_Bile threatened to spill out of her stomach. She was so damn nervous. She'd never lied on this grand of a scale before. And by the shocked expression on everyone's face—including Sai, she knew she had them fooled. But if anything, it made the quicksand in her stomach feel worse._

_Crying the last words, she rushed out of the ballroom, the crowd parting for her as she ran. The blonde ran into she was out of breath and she gagged on the recently drank champagne._

_The moths returned to her stomach and she slunk behind the hedge, falling on her behind. She hoped that at least her act would make the Harunos rethink and allow Sakura to withdraw from the engagement._

_Because if it didn't…she just committed an innocent man to a life of scrutiny._

_Either way, he was now pretty shamed on and somehow, she felt just as shameful for doing that to him._

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Presently...

"Well?" She downed the rest of her tea and looked at him expectantly; trying to read his emotions through the porcelain mask he wore. Perhaps she should've asked for an alcoholic drink. A really strong one.

"That was very long-winded." He commented, folding the napkin neatly beside the empty coffee mug. "And I understand now."

"Okay…" That meant she was off the hook right? "So how did _you _feel when it went down?"

A careless shrug thrown her way.

"So you don't _care_?"

He shook his head adamantly at it.

"But what about your reputation? Aren't you at least mad at me for it?" It was incredulous. He held no resentment at her whatsoever and her eyes roamed across his features, looking for any sign of it. She wasn't sure if she liked it. She had expected him to be angry at her for choosing to do such a thing—but instead he told her he _understood_. _Men _don't understand. They never _admit_ to understanding topics about _feelings_.

"I'm not and I could care less about my reputation. But Auntie's actually quite upset." Sai looked directly at her, unflinching.

"She told me to be responsible for my actions."

Ino blinked at him, not sure if she liked where the conversation was heading.

"So…uh…" Sai frowned slightly. "What was your name again?"

Now she wanted to slap him.

"_Ino_. Yamanaka Ino."

"Ah." He wrestled something from his jacket pocket and she nearly threw up upon seeing it. There was no way this was happening. They did say karma was a bitch—but it usually didn't come back to bite her in the ass _this _soon.

"Ino." Sai stated firmly, now knowing her name. "So let me make it right. Please marry me." His hands shot forward and held the box out awkwardly.

The blonde covered her unusually hot face, slumping slightly onto the table. Nearby, a girl who probably didn't hear the conversation and only saw the humongous rock displayed, squealed.

She could feel the sweat prickling the nape of her neck and her thoughts ran ten miles a second as she tried to distinguish what just happened.

Definitely, she was dreaming. This had all been a dream. She'd been too stressed out from the anxiety and guilt that she dreamt of the retribution she would have to pay for deceiving people

Wake up! Wake up!

Ino slapped herself a few times—and goddamn it hurt—but she still wasn't snapping out of it. She looked back up at the obsidian-eyed man. He stared at her curiously, still holding out the box with the really _really_ beautiful engagement ring of her dreams.

How was she supposed to snap out of this? There was no way an incredibly handsome man would be proposing to her with the ring of her dreams. With that, she chuckled out loud.

"Hahaha." She slapped a hand on the table. "I-I'm dreaming right? This is a dream. I'm dreaming. This isn't real." Ino repeated, and with each repetition, it seemed less and less like her imagination.

"I'm sorry…but you're not dreaming." Sai inclined his head in an apology.

"_What?_"

"You're not dreaming." He stated matter-of-factly and his tone started to annoy her. "Nor are you crazy."

"Then…_what_?" Was he seriously asking her? She couldn't feel her toes and it was pretty warm inside the café. Heck, she couldn't feel her body at all. It felt _unreal_.

"Then, marry me."

Ino gaped like a goldfish and was ready to shoot him down. The idea was ridiculous. She couldn't just agree to marry him because his auntie wanted him to 'take responsibility'. And did he seriously think that this was going to solve _anything_?

Lost in her thoughts, Ino inadvertently nodded. She tried to stop herself mid-nod but it was too late and she ended up with an odd fervent nod-shake combo.

A hand slapped her on the back and she looked up, bewildered. The maid waitress grinned back at her, "Congratulations!" With that, she placed a delectable strawberry cheesecake in front of them as another maid set down two glasses of champagne.

Sai beamed at her.

The rest of the café burst out in a fit of joyous laughter and applause before Ino could even utter another word.

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End Chapter 1

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So…what do you guys think?! I'm sorry if Sai seems OOC. It's actually tougher writing him in AU than it is in Naruto-verse…so suggestions are welcomed! Reviews greatly appreciated! Thank you!

-Aya Kazuki-


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

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Chapter 2:

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"Oh _wow_."

Sakura bristled over the engagement ring, inspecting its every inch.

"This is _nice_. This one's definitely high end!" The pink-haired woman squealed, grabbing the object from Ino and attempted to shove it onto her finger. "Ugh, Ino. How the hell do you have such tiny skinny fingers?" She complained as the band barely made it half-way down her ring finger.

"I _know _it's nice, and it's a coincidence it actually _fits _me—so perfectly too. And it's just so frustrating! He won't take it back!" Ino groused, entirely not as excited as her friend. After the meeting last night, she had gone back to her hotel to turn in so she could catch Sakura early next morning. She ended up not being able to sleep a wink and the sleep-deprivation only added to her anxiety and irritability.

The blonde still couldn't understand Sai—or his reasoning. His words kept running through her mind. Ino had always been very keen on reading people's thoughts and emotions. The ability made her overly sensitive to certain things, and with her motherly nature, she can't ever let anything be.

"_Look, I'm sorry I came in and messed everything up but two wrongs don't make a right. We can't fake a marriage just because it'll make your Auntie happy. It'll just destroy both of us." She had dragged him into an alleyway a block from the café._

_He just stared back at her, unflinching from the words. "I didn't say we are going to fake a marriage. It'll be legitimate."_

"_That's even worse!" The grip she held on his arm tightened. "Sai, don't you have someone you care for? Someone you want to be with? You can't just marry and decide to spend your entire life with a person outright like that! What about falling in love and then getting married?"_

_Sai paused, his eyes trailing over to a spot over her shoulder before he softly replied. "Then I'll just learn to love the person I marry."_

"_Sai—" She sighed, her resolution standing tall. Ino will not be pulled into his gravity. "Look, I don't know you. You don't know me. And I'm sure even if you think this will make your Auntie happy, she's probably just telling you to tie up loose ends with me—not to marry me. So just tell her I'm refusing all rights to the Uchiha name and that I will not ever bother you again, okay?"_

_She felt how he hung his arms limply at his sides, though his face betrayed no emotions. It's been barely two hours since she'd had the talk with him at the café and she already started to read him like a book. He kept his façade cool—but his body language told otherwise._

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry I royally fucked everything up for you, but I think you'll do just fine without me. So please, don't push this." She held the ring out to him but he made no move towards it._

_Instead, she glanced up to see him plaster a large, robotic smile on his chiseled features. "It's alright; I had to at least try. Thank you for your time, Ino. I will not be bothering you any further. You can keep the ring for your troubles; it won't be of any need to me anymore."_

"There's something off about the way he agreed to my refusal—it just doesn't _feel _right."

"You mean how you came in and ruined his life and then declined to help him afterwards?"

Blue eyes narrowed and she hissed at the other woman. "I ruined _his _life to help _you_, so don't be a smartass about it."

Sakura managed a forced laugh, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. She didn't like it when Ino stressed out over something—or someone. The blonde always had a way of over analyzing and getting herself in worse situations.

"Do you want me to prescribe you something so you can sleep better?"

Ino scoffed, waving her hand at the other woman and shaking her head. "I don't want you to drug me so I can feel better. I'll get over it. What should I do with this in the mean time?" She twirled the beautiful ring around her finger. Her chest tightened in slight jealousy at the woman who would deserve such a gorgeous ornament—and it definitely would not be her, unfortunately.

The doctor shrugged, walking over the door as it chimed, grabbing her wallet. "It's not like it's sentimental to you. Wear it around and have some fun. Selling it would be a waste. I'm going to make you eat most of this pizza. You need to gain weight. A pig like you won't look good if you're too skinny."

"Whatever, forehead." She mindlessly played with the ring around her finger—surprised at how well it fit—like a glove. It was almost like he could tell her ring size by just looking at her. Ino blushed a bit at that thought, maybe he could tell her _other _measurements too.

Sai wasn't bad-looking. Hell, he was completely the _opposite _of that. And _exactly _the tall, dark and handsome type she usually goes for too. But she couldn't just take up his offer because he was backed into a corner. What good would that do for either of them later?

If only they had met under different circumstances, she would've jumped at the idea of belonging to him.

"What are you doing _here_?!"

Her ears perked up at Sakura's hushed voiced sounding slightly strained.

"We need to talk. It's important—it's about Sai." A deeper voice sounded from the doorway.

Ino hadn't heard this voice before, but somehow it seemed oddly familiar to her and she was tempted to sashay herself around the kitchen area to the doorway but Sakura's and the man's voice came towards her instead.

"I have a _friend_ over."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at how Sakura emphasized the 'friend' part.

"Is it the friend that…?"

"_Yes._"

"Well then, I need to talk to her."

Before she knew it, he came striding into the kitchen area and she was face to face with the man. And definitely, she knew exactly where the voice was familiar.

She opened her mouth, but only silence came out as she gaped. Sakura stopped abruptly right behind him and threw her a sheepish grimace. Ino narrowed her baby blues, sending the doctor a scathing '_What happened to the personality of a brick wall_'?!

"Uh…" The pink-haired woman cleared her throat, playing with the hem of her blouse nervously. "This is my best friend, Ino…Ino this is my boyfriend, Uc—"

"_Uchiha Sasuke_?!" Ino nearly shrieked, her heart thumping wildly in her chest and she felt the blood rush to her head. Oh my god, she was going to have an aneurysm over this.

Like before, if she wasn't meeting the infamous super model, Uchiha Sasuke, under _these _circumstances, she would have been ecstatic. However, the reason for her blood pressure raise and light headedness was _not _because of the man's entirely good looks.

"Look, Ino." Sakura breathed slowly, the tenseness in her shoulders was noticeable. "I can explain."

"You can explain _what_?!" She clenched the ring tightly in her hand, the rock jutting up against her palm painfully. "Why did you need me to crash your engagement if you're already dating _one of them_?" She hissed through clenched teeth and Uchiha Sasuke stared at her wordlessly.

"Ino, please."

"NO. SAKURA, NO. WHAT IS THIS?! I RUINED SOMEONES REPUTATION, SAKURA! I RUINED IT!"

"Well, I mean—Ino—just calm down!"

"HOW CAN I BE CALM?! I SEE HIS DISTRESSED FACE WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES. I FEEL LIKE I'VE JUST KILLED A BASKET OF PUPPIES!" She wanted to throw stuff _s_o _badly _but Sakura's taste in decorations was sparse and there wasn't much nearby to toss satisfactorily. Ino grabbed a handful of napkins and threw it at the couple on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"ARGH! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! YOU GUYS ARE RIDICULOUS!"

Sakura averted her eyes, staring at the wooden floor, knowing too well to let her friend throw her tantrum.

"Shut up." Sasuke muttered, closing his eyes from the ringing his ears were feeling.

Ino swiveled towards the dark-haired man and snarled in his face. "_What_? I don't see how _you _are in any position to tell me what to do. You know, if you had grown a pair of balls and intervened in _your own family matters_, I wouldn't have had to tramp in there and trash Sai's character." Her heart sank at the thought of innocent, oblivious Sai.

"There's a way you can fix it, if you just _shut up_ and listen." Sasuke glared at her, motioning for both women to sit down and _behave_. "You can yell at me later but right now, Sai's about to get _disowned _if you don't get your act together."

She bristled at his attitude. "Do _not _tell me what to do Uchiha Sasuke. You're the one that obviously caused _this_. Why don't you just go fix the problem?"

"Because _I'm _already _disowned_."

"And that's _my_ fault somehow?!"

Sakura attempted to pry her friend off her boyfriend, the latter looking a bit worn from being reprimanded. "Ino, please. Sasuke's father wouldn't listen to him when he said he wanted to come back and inherit the position—and to take Sai's place in the engagement."

"I was about to go in to get Sakura too, but you barged in first."

"Oh. _Oh_. Don't blame me because you were dragging your feet!"

"INO!"

Both Sasuke and Ino jumped, clearly surprised from the squeak in Sakura's elevated voice. "Please, Ino. Let's just listen to Sasuke, and then we'll find a way to fix this."

The blonde sighed, throwing her hands in the direction of the kitchen table as she stalked over to a chair and plopped herself down. She glared at the other two until both were seated across from her.

"Well?"

The dark-haired man sighed, running a hand through his locks. "My uncle, Kakashi, told me that—"

"_Wait_, Kakashi knows about _us_?" Green eyes glared at him.

"Yes—I'll explain that later." Sasuke frowned at his girlfriend, unhappy about being interrupted. Sakura continued to glower, not exactly pleased about the bit of information either. "After the engagement party failure, Sai was given a one week time limit to locate and bring you to the family head. If he can't and he can't find a good enough excuse to not do so, Kakashi said Sai will pretty much be renounced by the head."

He watched as the blonde woman's eyes widen, disdain at his family etched all across her face. "The time limit is this evening and as of this morning, Sai stated he will be heading into the meeting _alone_."

Ino crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair. "So? How did you come up to the conclusion that he'll be disowned for sure? There's a chance that he'll just be married off again."

Sasuke snorted. "I was disowned for _less_ and Sai is in no position to be going up against the wishes of the family—and since your _show _tarnished the family name using _him_, they're not going to be light on him either."

She huffed, the situation just seemed to be getting worse and worse and lady luck is nowhere to be found. The gnawing on the back of her mind kept telling her that it was somehow _her _fault.

In actuality, it kind of was. If she hadn't rushed in like that, Uchiha Sasuke might have handled the situation differently and poor, clueless Sai would have avoided this entire mess. The way he stood in the alleyway, dejectedly but still flashing his unwaveringly smile just made her feel _worse_.

It may be her sense of justice and responsibility, but Ino just couldn't let the unfortunate man go in there alone.

"Fine." She bit out, crossing her arms across her chest. "What do you need me to do? And for the record—you owe me, Uchiha. You owe me _big _time."

The pink-haired woman let out a sigh of relief, content that the conversation ended with no blood spilt. "Yes, yes, Sasuke owes you for the rest of his life."

"_What_?" Ebony eyes narrowed at his girlfriend.

"He'll take care of you for the rest of your life under the Uchiha's name. You'll _never _have to lift a finger to work again."

Ino snorted. It wasn't like she needed anyone to take care of her in the first place. Hell, if she didn't want to work, she didn't necessarily _have _to either. It was just…her family situation could be compared on a different platform of messy. All she wanted to do was to go back to her cozy little apartment in Kiri and forget about all that had happened. She didn't want to stay in Konoha longer than required for the reunion with Sakura but it looked like she didn't have much of choice. Ino was getting pulled in by the gravity of the situation and she felt like a runaway train—one heading in the wrong direction.

"I said _no such_—"

"Sasuke, please be quiet. We're all in this together now." Sakura flashed a frown in his direction and the man clammed up. "Ino will do what you need her to do to stall Sai's punishment. And _you _get your good-for-nothing globetrotting _older _brother to pick up responsibility as head so that no one else gets dragged into your family matters."

Ino tilted her head inquiringly. It was interesting to see him clamp up at the mention of Sai and responsibility. "What happened between you guys and Sai? Why are you so intent on saving him from disownment? Maybe he's better off being non-related to you idiots."

The question caused more reaction than she intended it to as Sasuke stiffened in his seat and murmured a quiet answer. "It's not something you should hear from me and Sai's pretty never been at fault for anything he'd been blamed for." He paused and squinted into the distance, the words hanging on his lips before he decided to say it. "He's just unfortunate like that and we've always used him as a scapegoat. I owe him at least this much. When Itachi assumes as head of the Uchiha, we'll make sure Sai will not be put in such a position again."

Twirling a strand of blonde hair around, she narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired man. He managed to answer her question adequately but still evade the main point of it. Something nagged in the back of her mind—that whatever situation she was agreeing to at this time will be worse than the one she was already in…

Look at the perks, she told herself. At least she'll get to see Sai again? Eye candy never hurt anyone—or so she tried to believe.

Sighing she stuck the ring onto her finger and waved it in front of the blanching Uchiha. "So, dear future-in-law, what do I do now?"

* * *

xXx

* * *

Ino drew the shawl higher onto her shoulders, carefully pulling back her bangs and looping the blonde strands behind her ear. Blue orbs roamed over the mansion displayed in front of her. In typical Konoha-ian style, it was a massive, traditional building—more like a castle. A giant stone wall surrounded the mansion with a beautiful intricate gate. The car looped around the half-circle and she nodded a silent 'thanks' to the driver before stepping out.

Greeting her were two men dressed in simple navy and black yukatas adorned with the Uchiha emblem on their ends of the sashes. The man in front, with a red scarf covering the bottom half of his face and an eye-patch bowed first. He was _tall_ and his hair color was an interesting choice, but she did take note at how _good-looking _the entire family was. The second man waved leisurely, donning odd eye-goggles and she resisted rolling her eyes.

Damn Uchihas are just as bizarre as they are handsome.

Ino had been told about how traditional and formal the Uchiha family was and she bowed deeply in return. She had to be on her best behavior if she was going to have the plan succeed. The only one that knew of the _real _situation behind the circumstances aside from Sasuke, Sakura and herself was an uncle named 'Kakashi'.

Peering up from behind her bangs, she wondered which one of the two was 'Kakashi' and cursed that stupid Sasuke for not describing his damned uncle. The blonde did not expect to have _two _people greet her at the doorstep.

"Yamanaka Ino, I presume?" The silver-haired man spoke up, his deep voice muffled slightly by the scarf.

"Yes, thank you for greeting me in front." She spoke fluidly. Though she had been living away from home for such a long time, she did not forget her roots. Ino had been raised under similar premises and she sighed inwardly. She had escaped to Kiri to avoid such duties, and now here she was, entangled in someone else's family obligations.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi." His eyes crinkled as if he was smiling at her and she offered him a graceful curve of her lips. "This here is my cousin by name, Uchiha Obito." She turned to the side and bowed at the other man.

"Hello!" The other man dashed forward once he was introduced, grabbing her hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you! Welcome to the family. We should head in now; I think we're late already…again!" Obito seemed like he was barely breathing when he exclaimed and bounced around. He took hold of her hand and proceeded to drag her through the wooden sliding doors.

She blanched at the thought of being dragged roughly into the meeting.

"Obito, wait." Kakashi nodded briefly at her as if he understood. "Go notify them first. I will escort Yamanaka-san in once she grasps her nerves."

Ino gave a small sigh of relief; she would have to run the lines through her head again.

"Oh _boo_." Obito whined, but nonetheless released the hold he had on her hand and moved towards the hallway alone. "You can't go around seducing her. She's Sai's lady, you stupid womanizer."

The other man rolled his one visible eye but waited for Obito to be out of earshot before speaking up again.

"Are you prepared?"

Her eyes moved to his figure standing slightly in front of her. She made no sound but inclined her head slightly. Even if she wasn't ready, she'd have to be somehow.

"Even though you are accepting Sai's proposal does not meet they will accept you unconditionally."

A warning for her. Ino could not help but curve one side of her lips up. Kakashi was choosing his words carefully as if anyone could be listening to them.

"They not only look for suitable candidates, the _family _has to be appropriate too. We hold the Uchiha name with very high regard."

"I understand." She spoke evenly, pushing aside her anxiety and stood up straight. Ino knew all about _family _regards and she will play her cards once she figured out how they play _theirs_. She will play fire with fire but she will not reveal her trump card unless necessary.

* * *

xXx

* * *

Sai bowed deeply, aware of the blunt scrutiny he was under. The current head of the family, Fugaku was looking none too pleased with his nephew and the aura emitting from the older man was suffocating the inhabitants of the room. Beside him, an even older man sat, slightly leisurely, but the sharp gaze he fastened on Sai was not of friendliness either.

Uchiha Madara was _not _appeased by the youngest generation's blunders. Every one of his grandsons had been a failure in his eyes—with the exception of Itachi. But Itachi had snapped under the stress and pleasantly ditched responsibility—and though he was not serving as the successor of the Sharingan Financials at the moment, at least Itachi was not running around spoiling the Uchiha _name_.

On the other side of Fugaku sat his wife, Mikoto. She sighed sadly, sending Sai a sympathetic gaze. The current matron of the Uchiha family was unhappy about the state of affairs Sai had put himself (and them) into, but she had been a bit ecstatic when the young woman claiming to be Sai's companion stated she was _pregnant_. A child would loosen up the atmosphere the household had been feeling lately and she pleaded with Fugaku to give Sai another chance if the young man can bring the lady in to become family.

But Sai had apparently failed at that attempt too.

"Ah, maybe she had already left town?" Mikoto stated out loud, hoping to extend Sai's deadline. The young man had been vague about why he had shown up alone.

Fugaku grunted in response to his wife's kindness. "It does not matter where she is. She still would not be admitted to the Uchiha line if she is not _sufficient_."

Sai grimaced at the older man's tone and choice in words, but stayed quiet nonetheless. Everyone knew better than to interrupt Fugaku's tirade. Sasuke had made a decision to verbally battle his father once, and until this day Fugaku has refused to admit he has a second son.

He did wish though, that they would not speak badly of Yamanaka Ino. It was true, he barely knew her. But from what little he did—Ino was a blunt person, but she held her friends and bonds very closely to her. She was an honorable person to those she knew.

It must be nice, he thought, to have someone like Ino care so deeply about them. His chest ached at the idea and his hands felt numb. But what else can he do? What else did he have to lose?

_Nothing_. _Nothing at all._

His purpose was to always follow the rules, to never stray from his responsibility and in return he would have a place to call home and people to call _family_. But he couldn't even do that, so what good is he to them now? Sai understood it well, he understood his place and he accepted it.

The idea of bringing Ino in front of the family was a shot in the dark that Mikoto had given him. Whether it was out of pity or unconditional compassion for him that she stood up for him, Sai was still grateful.

"Sai, you do understand the position you are in, do you not?" Madara grumbled from his perch and the young man nodded.

"Oh, don't be such a grouch, Grandpa!" A fourth man sitting slightly behind Madara spoke lightly; a sheepish smile could be seen gracing his features. "Sai's young! Of course these things are going to happen. So how about—"

"Shisui, I did not bring you here to babble." Fugaku snapped and the other young man clamped his mouth shut. "You have no opinion in this matter whatsoever. With your record, if it wasn't for Itachi, I would have renounced you too."

"Eheheeeh…" Shisui rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, shooting Sai a mournful smile. At least he tried and the other man dipped his head in acknowledgment.

Whatever his punishment shall be, he will be complacent.

_Knock knock_

Fugaku groused in discontentment. "It must be Kakashi and Obito. Those two are _never _on time anywhere."

The door swung open to reveal a grinning Obito, ever so hyperactive for his age. "Good evening!" He chorused loudly, entering the conference room and shuffling noisily to his seat.

"Where's Kakashi?" Madara sighed, pretty much given up on his succession generations.

"He's right down the hall!" Obito chirped, ignoring the two disgruntled older men and waving to Shisui and a bit more awkwardly to Sai. "Oh, Mikoto! You're looking quite lovely today!" He was silenced immediately with a frozen glare from Fugaku. Mikoto offered her younger cousin-in-law a hidden smile, grateful for another mood lightener.

"What's taking Kakashi so long?"

Obito scratched his head, chuckling. "He's with our guest."

"Guest? We are not expecting any guests." Mikoto tilted her head confused. Had she forgotten a tea-date with a lady of another family?

"Yeah, it's—"

"Yo."

All heads spun to the doorway that Obito had conveniently left open. Kakashi waved at everyone lazily, indifferent to the heated glares of the two family elders about his tardiness.

Instead of entering, the silver-haired man stepped aside, bowing to a person on the other side of the wall before speaking.

"Forgive me for my lateness. However, Yamanaka Ino had approached me wishing an audience with the family head."

Sai's eyes widened as he watched the young woman step through the doorway. Her long blonde hair was tied in a loose low-do and she donned a midnight blue dress with a tapering design of mosaic silver and pink doves that reached the floor.

He couldn't help it as his heart thumped loudly in his chest and he tried wildly to hold the façade. If there was one outcome to this evening—this was _not _at all within his calculations.

When she turned her gaze on him, sapphire blue orbs measuring him, Sai felt a tiny spark in his abdomen. It fluttered haplessly and he wondered what the feeling meant.

Sai wasn't sure if he was content or agitated—if he was relieved or stressed. With her appearance, he suddenly didn't _know _what was going to happen.

But he couldn't help but feel a bit elated that she had came for him, for better or worse.

"Good evening, Uchiha-sama." She made her way beside him and faced the elders before bowing deeply. "I am terribly sorry for appearing so suddenly without prior notice. On your benevolence, may I have a few words?"

His eyes nearly popped out of the sockets as he listened to her speak. When he met her last—and the first time also, Sai did not think she was able to articulate so well and formally for these circumstances. Ebony eyes shifted towards her figure beside him and he wondered. It was almost as if she had been born and _raised _the same way.

Fugaku only glowered but he gave her a nod of approval. Sai watched closely as she then moved her gaze to Madara, as if she knew to wait for his consent before continuing.

"You said your family name is Yamanaka?" Madara remarked; his expression showing disinterest to the untrained eye. But the young Uchiha could see a spark of _something_ and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"Yes, sir. My name is Yamanaka Ino."

"Hmph." Madara leaned back on his chair, eyes clouded over in thought. "Then go on, what is it that you wanted to say?"

Once again, Sai was confounded by his grandpa's sudden lax for the blonde.

"Thank you for your generosity." Ino lifted her head, staring directly at Madara as she spoke firmly—to the surprise to the rest of the Uchiha men. "I would like to apologize for the appalling situation that occurred last week because of my own shortcomings. I would like to ask that you do not blame Sai for any of its matters. The fault lies within me and my own troubles that I was trying to displace. Please do not punish Sai for my wrong-doings."

Sai could only blink wordlessly as the blonde defended him, putting all the blame on herself. Not once in his lifetime had anyone ever step up in his defense. The motion she just took made his hands clammy and his breathing shallow. It was _shocking_ to say the least—but it didn't make him feel unwanted or used at all.

Silence overcame the room and Sai noticed that Obito had pretty much stopped breathing and Shisui's eyebrows cannot lift any higher on his forehead. It was an amusing sight, if not for his current situation.

He closed his eyes and resisted the urge to rock in place. It was very admirable of her, he wanted to say and he wanted to thank her for her troubles. But it would be dishonorable to him, as a man, if he let her shoulder this by herself.

"Ino." Sai turned and offered her a reassuring smile, one that he had practiced so many times before. In response, her eyebrows knitted together; seemingly _unhappy _about the smile she received. "Please do not blame yourself for everything. We are both at fault here. I am terribly sorry for upsetting you too."

As if he said the right _words _just then, her face lit up and she offered him a dazzling smile that made his heart race. If he was to say what he thought at the moment—it would be _beautiful_. The air seem to have gone stale in his throat and he could only hold his breath.

Then he noticed she was tearing up and he paused, frozen again in fear. As fast as his heart had raced from her smile, he blood ran cold just now. Did he do something wrong? Had he given her the wrong impression about something?

"Sai." She was tearing up and he was _confused_. "I'm sorry about yelling at you the other day. I was just so upset it took you so _long _to find me in Konoha. But I'm here to give you my answer—and it is _yes_. Let's do this _together_." Ino raised her left hand, offering it to him.

And then he realized what she was doing.

She was a woman of many faces and many emotions.

But she was not a woman who would leave others behind, and it made him feel warm and content that she did come back for him—as she did for Sakura.

Ino made him feel _something _then. Something he hadn't felt for the entirety of his 27 years in existence. On a whim, he reached out to her, ignoring the room full of elders and family members. It suddenly occurred to him that it really didn't matter to him if he was disowned. He could be sent packing on his own in a snap of a finger and he would gladly oblige. Sai had no friends to rely on either, but that also wasn't important at this time.

He even felt content if the world decided to end at the moment.

Because in that small instance she made him feel like he wasn't just _trash_, an object that could be tossed away easily once its usefulness had been outlived.

She made him feel like he was _worth_ something—whatever it was.

"_Thank you_." He managed to strangle from his throat, his hands trembling on her arms and his heart racing again.

For better or worse, he was glad she was beside him. Sai felt his heart beating loudly and quickly, hammering on like a runaway train—and whether if he was heading in the right or wrong direction, he'll have to wait and find out.

* * *

xXx

End Chapter 2

xXx

* * *

A/N: Whoaaaa! I'd say this is the longest chapter I've written yet! Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter! I realize I do have problems expressing their feelings appropriate in writing from what I am imagining it to…so if anyone has suggestions on ways to word it better, feel free to let me know! I'm going to attempt making this story more serious than my other SaixIno.

Other than that…I know Madara's like ten million years old but he's going to be grumpy old grandpa in this, okay?

If you're confused about the Uchiha lineage (age-ish): Madara (70 y/o), Fugaku (49 y/o), Mikoto (48 y/o), Kakashi and Obito (35-36 y/o), Shisui and Itachi (28 y/o), Sai (27 y/o), and Sasuke (26 y/o).

As for Sakura and Ino, they're both 26 y/o also!

Well…like every author, I love hearing everyone's opinions so please feel free to review! A favorite or a follow is just as good too!

Until next time! Thank you for reading!

-Aya Kazuki-


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